Arguments over whether the Confederate battle flag can be dropped from specialty Virginia license plates will be heard Friday in a federal court.
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Kiser’s ruling will not be official until he enters his order, which will also address whether the decision will apply prospectively to new license plates, or retroactively to include existing ones, according to a news release from the Virginia Attorney General’s office.
Following the judge’s decision, Frank Earnest, past commander of the Virginia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, told The Roanoke Times that ruling would not weaken his group’s efforts.
The Virginia General Assembly had once already tried to ban the flag on state license plates.
A solicitor regarding the Sons of Confederate Veterans had quarrel where the Texas settlement is not recommended to be put on Virginia.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced in late June that he would phase out state license plates carrying an image of the Confederate battle flag, which he called divisive and hurtful.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Texas could ban the sale of the SCV plate with the image of the Confederate flag. He said McAuliffe’s action to banish the flag was a “knee-jerk” reaction. “That’s what happens when you try to suppress a powerful symbol”.
Danville was the final refuge for the Confederacy.
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The state Department of Motor Vehicles said it has received 34 requests for the SCV plate between June 24 and July 23. The plates were not issued while the challenge was pending in court. “It was the right thing to do for Virginia and now we can move ahead”.
